Olympic National Park

Competing with neighboring Mt. Rainier National Park as the pinnacle of Northwestern outdoor activities, Olympic National Park boasts over 1,400 square miles (almost a million acres) of teeming tide pools, alpine glacial lakes, and wildflower-filled lowland meadows. There are 73 miles of wild coastline complete with sandy beaches and rocky cliffs, and the park is also home to some of the biggest stretches of ancient forests remaining in the United States. Visitors can see old-growth forests, temperate rain forests and 300-foot-tall trees. For a view of the Snowy Mountains, take a winding 17-mile road to the nearly mile-high Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.

Hiking, camping, kayaking, fly-fishing, and mountaineering are all popular pastimes at the park, and the simple pleasures of the moss-draped area are prevalent.

More than three times the biomass of tropical rain forests, the Pacific Northwest is an overwhelmingly abundant environment for old growth trees, and visitors to this area will enjoy a network of trails that extend from foggy beaches to rocky ridgelines, cascading waterfalls and everything in between.

Practical Info:

Olympic National Park is open year-round. Travelers can check in at the visitor center to get the most up-to-date information on everything from road conditions, park destinations, weather and tides to events and ranger program times. Many campgrounds are open year round, weather permitting, on a first-come, first-served basis. There are also four lodges in the park. A seven-day pass costs $15 per vehicle or $5 per person on foot or bicycle. Most visitors fly into Seattle and then drive to the park. Because Olympic is a wilderness park, no roads cross the rugged interior. A variety of roads and campgrounds may be closed due to seasonal weather.